Fundamentals of Improv Level 1: Multi-week Class
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Fundamentals of Improv Level 1: Multi-week Class
Welcome to the wonderful world of improv comedy!
Could you imagine yourself:
More confident?
Connecting better with other people?
Comfortable in unexpected situations?
Making up things on the spot?
We know that you can, and this class will show you how! Learn the fundamentals of improv comedy with two skilled and supportive instructors. We'll play some very silly games, learn how to create characters, explore techniques to collaborate and create as a team, and even perform full improvised scenes together!
Of course, you won't be facing this new experience alone - you'll be learning these new skills with a team of new improvisers, and by the end you'll be ready to put on a showcase for your friends, family, and fans!
About this class:
Over six weeks, you will learn the fundamentals of improv comedy through a combination of warm-ups, games, exercises, and practice scenes. Highwire Improv's expert instructors will be with you every step of the way, holding the space to make silly choices, explore comedy, and learn how to create art together. No performance, acting, or comedy experience is required - but by the end you will be confident and ready to show off your new skills!
Each class session will run from 6:30-8:30pm ET, with optional time available after class to discuss and debrief:
Week 1 (March 11): Intro to Improv
Week 2 (March 18): Base Reality
Week 3 (March 25): Physicality
Week 4 (April 1): Characters
Week 5 (April 8): Emotion and Relationship
Week 6 (April 15): Putting it All Together
Week 7 (April 22): Student Showcase!
This class is in-person, but Highwire Improv also offers online classes - check out our page for other offerings!
About your instructors:
Misty Letts (she/they) stepped into the improv pool 6 years ago and has not looked back. She got her footing at Baltimore Improv Group through curriculum and workshops from various BIG instructors of the form. Digging into opportunities to learn from so much talent including Don Fanelli (UCB), Kate Zelensky (UCB), and Travis Charles Ploeger (iMusical- WIT). She has also enjoyed playing with Maryland Improv Collective and can presently be found camped out on Highwire’s front stoop. Misty she’s and is also a they/them and can be found on two wheels tooling about town, so drive carefully!
“Improv helps the world laugh, and listen” -Misty
Keith Estrella (he/him) has been makin’ stuff up on a stage since November 2017, when he took his very first improv class at the Harrisburg Improv Theater in Harrisburg, PA. Since then he’s performed, taught, or coached there and in multiple locations within both Pennsylvania and the Baltimore, MD area. He’s taken the Zoom stage several times as well, learning and performing through World’s Greatest Improv School during the height of the pandemic. Last year, he even took his first transatlantic flight to perform at the Edinburgh International Improv Festival in the incredibly stony city of Edinburgh, Scotland. Currently he enjoys performing at the Baltimore Improv Group with his house team, Snake Oil, and a myriad of other indie teams in the Baltimore area including A++, Brad’s Dad, and Tabletop Live!. He is a proud cat-uncle to his housemate’s orange tabby Reece. Don’t let him talk to you about Dungeons and Dragons (unless you’re into that kind of thing).
About Highwire Improv:
Highwire Improv is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization based in Baltimore, Maryland. Our mission is to steward a community of artists committed to growth, collaboration, joy, and justice — in Baltimore and around the world — through improvisational theater.
Can I Use Professional Development Budgets for This Class?
Yes, very often you can! We've even created a few email templates depending on what type of skills you'd like to highlight to your employer!